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Pyeongchang 2018
Pyeongchang 2018 or the Games of the XXIII Olympiad was the 23rd Winter Olympics, following Sochi 2014. They were held in South Korea. This was the second time that the Olympics have visited South Korea, after Seoul 1988. The Russian delegation was suspended, and only selected athletes were allowed to participate as Olympic Athletes from Russia. North Korea also participated, and to show an improving relationship between the two Koreas, a unified team was created to compete in women's ice hockey, as well as a combined entry during the opening and closing ceremony of the Olympic Games. Bidding Pyeongchang lost in the bid of both Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014, but tried again for 2018. To win the bid, they had to defeat Munich, Germany (which already hosted Munich 1972) and Annecy, France. After the first round of voting, Pyeongchang had 63 votes (against 25 and 7, respectively), more than the required majority of 48 votes. Logos The logo of the Olympic bid showed the vibrant winter scenery of South Korea, as well as the proposed development in dynamics, while the logo of the Olympic Games showcased the combination of collaboration and Korean culture. The heritage of Korean culture was further explored in both the Olympic torch and several performances during the Olympic Games. Torch The Olympic torch was lit on 24 October 2017 and travelled to Incheon, South Korea, where the official torch relay started on 1 November; exactly 100 days before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. From this point onwards, the torch relayed across 7,500 torchbearers in 17 cities and provinces, to arrive in the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium on 9 February. Opening ceremony The opening ceremony on 9 February was to convey a message of peace across the world. The ceremony, with the motto "Peace in Motion" shows that everything can live together in harmony and that everything is made out of the balance between yin and yang. Mascots Soohorang is the official mascot of the Olympic Games. Taking the form of a white tiger, Soohorang is a trustworthy friend with a challenging spirit and an unequalled passion. He vows to protect the Olympic athletes, spectators and other participants. The name exists out of the Korean word for protection "Sooho", and "Rang". This is a combination of the Korean "Ho-rang-i", meaning "Tiger", and "Jeong-seon A-ri-rang", which is a traditional folk song of the location of Pyeongchang 2018. The official mascot of the Paralympic Games in 2018 was the Asian black bear Bandabi, representing a strong will and courage. The name was made up of the Korean word "Bandal", which signifies the crescent moon, and "Bi", which defines the celebration of the Olympic Games. Both mascots were presented on 2 June 2016, and were designed by the design and animation team MASS C&G. Venues The venues of Pyeongchang were mostly divided into two clusters: the ice events mostly took part in Gangneung, while the snow events took place in the Alpensia resort. The two standalone venues were the Bokwang Snow Park and the Jeongseon Alpine Centre, which hosted the Freestyle skiing, snowboarding, and some alpine skiing events, respectively. Medal Table Category:Olympic Games Category:Winter Olympic Games Category:Pyeongchang 2018